This invention relates generally to guided-vane rotary apparatus utilized as an internal combustion engine and relates, more particularly, to means and methods for igniting the air/fuel mixture within and for controlling the operation of the working chambers of the apparatus.
Guided-vane rotary apparatus with which this invention is concerned include a rotor which rotates within the interior of a housing and vanes which are associated with the rotor and housing for dividing the housing interior into working chambers. Commonly, the vanes are mounted within the rotor and adapted to slide relative thereto between alternative radial positions as the rotor is rotated within the housing. When employed as an internal combustion engine, the engine operates on the same four-cycle Otto thermodynamic principle common to a piston engine, but the thermodynamic operation of the guided-vane rotary engine is referred to as cycles, rather than strokes, as the guided-vane rotary engine has no pistons utilizing reciprocating strokes. Furthermore, a rotary engine completes its four cycles of operation in one full revolution, i.e. 360 degrees, of the rotor output shaft. An example of a guide-vane rotary apparatus of the aforedescribed class is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,783, having the same inventor as the instant application.
In order to enhance the efficiency of a guided-vane rotary apparatus of the aforedescribed class, it would be desirable that the working chambers of the apparatus be effectively sealed from one another to prevent a leakage or flow of the working gases or fluid contained in one chamber of the apparatus to another chamber of the apparatus. In other words, when such leakage is permitted, any pumping efficiency or effectiveness of the apparatus as a positive displacement machine is impaired. However, current designs have not proven to be entirely satisfactory in this respect, and when the designs of such guided-vane rotary apparatus have involved a spark plug mounted within an outer wall of the housing interior, some degree of flow communication is commonly permitted between adjacent chambers of the apparatus as each vane of the apparatus moves past the spark plug.
Furthermore and for purposes of conserving fuel being utilized by such a guided-vane rotary engine, reducing the exhaust emissions of the engine, or altering the output (e.g. power or sound), it would be desirable to provide a scheme of engine operation whereby all or less-than-all of the working chambers of the engine are selectively activated in order to obtain the desired engine output. For example, it may be desirable to provide a scheme of engine operation in instances in which full operating power of the engine is desired and an alternative scheme of engine operation in instances in which less-than-all of the operating power of the engine is desired.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved guided-vane rotary internal combustion engine whose structure reduces the likelihood of flow communication between working chambers of the apparatus during the operation of the engine.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such an engine having an improved scheme for sealing the working chambers of the engine from one another.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide such an engine wherein the disposition of its spark plug therein reduces the likelihood of flow communication between working chambers of the engine.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such an engine having a rotor body within which the engine spark plug is mounted and an attending arrangement for energizing the spark plug.
A further object of the present invention is to provide such an engine having a new and improved scheme for controlling the operation, or utilization, of the working chambers of the engine.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide such an engine whose working chambers can be selectively activated or de-activated and an associated controller to effect this purpose.
A yet still further object of the present invention to provide such an engine which is adaptable to selective chamber operation whereby only a selected number of working chambers are permitted to operate in response to changing power demands or a desired engine output.
One more object of the present invention is to provide such an engine which is uncomplicated in structure, yet effective in operation.